Relasting machine



Aug. 20, 1940.

J. 5. KAMBORIAN 2,211,782

RELASTING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1938 AWE/VHF. Maw

Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RELASTING MACHINE New Jersey Application April 4, 1938, Serial No. 199,879

9 Claims.

This invention relates to methods andmachines for relasting shoes and is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a relasting machine suitable for operation by foot power.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of relasting shoes, and it is a further object to provide a relasting machine which is simple in construction and easy to operate. In accordance with a feature of the invention the machine is provided with a member which engages a considerable area of the heel portion of the bottom of the shoe, an abutment engageable with a heel portion of the last partially inserted in the shoe, and with means for exerting a downward thrust against the abutment to force the last into the shoe, the abut ment being pivotally connected to the force-exerting means to enable it to tilt freely with the heel portion of the last during the seating of the last. In accordance with a further feature, the supporting member may be pivotally mounted to enable it to tilt forwardly and rearwardly of the shoe while the last is being seated. The illustrated machine is further provided with a shoe horn adapted to be interposed between the shoe upper and the rear portion of the last and which is connected with the operating mechanism in such a manner as to be withdrawn during the last-seating operation.

These and other features of the invention, including details of construction and the arrangement of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective" view of the improved relasting machine showing a last about to be seated in a shoe; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe-engaging parts of the machine showing the last and shoe at the completion of the operation.

The supporting structure of the improved machine consists of a frame l0 mounted upon a work bench l2. Extending forwardly from the frame l0 is-a bracket having a bearing I4 in which is mounted an upright threaded pin I 6. Engaging the threads of the pin I6 is a nut l8 by which the pin l6 may be adjusted heightwise in the above-mentioned bearing. The pin I6 is held against turning by a pin 20 which is secured in the bearing l4 and extends through a diametrical slot 22 in the pin "3. Pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the pin I6 is an abutment in the form of a shoe support 24 comprising a metal plate having a pair of depending ears which are connected by a pivot pin 26 to a tongue 21 extending upwardly from the pin IS. The axis of the pivot pin 26 extends transversely of a shoe S to be operated upon. The freedom of the shoe support 24 to tilt about the pin 26 is limited in both directions by the engagement 5 of the upper edge of the tongue 21 with the under surface of the shoe support 24, which prevents any considerable departure of the shoe support in either direction from a generally horizontal position. A spring 29 10 tends to urge the shoe support 24 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing. The upper surface of the shoe support 24 is padded with rubber and the rubber is covered with a piece of leather secured by screws 28 to the 15 shoe support.

Secured in the forward upper portion of the frame 10 is a guideway 30 in which is slidably mounted for heightwise movement a rack member 32 in the form of a dovetail slide provided 20 with rack teeth 34. Pivotally mounted for bodily swinging movement in the rack member 32 by a pin 36 and depending therefrom is an abutment 38 having an under surface of considerable extent for engaging the top surface of the rear por- 25 tion of a last. The axis of the pin 36 is transversely disposed with respect to the shoe to be operated upon and is thus parallel to the axis of the pin 26. Furthermore, it is directly above the axis of the pin 26 so that the line of thrust exerted through the abutment 38 when the rack member 32 is urged downwardly will be intersected by the axes of the pins 36 and 26. The pin 36 extends between a pair of ears which form the side walls of a channel-shaped bracket 31 35 constituting a part of the rack member 32. The freedom of the abutment 38 to tilt about the pin 36 is limited in both directions by the engagement of the upper surface of the abutment with the base of the channel-shaped bracket 31. The 40 abutment 38 is unbalanced to cause it to hang normally at one of its limiting positions wherein the inclination of the abutment is steeper than that shown in Fig. 1 but has a similar direction. From this limiting position the abutment is free to move in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, over a considerable angle, the range of angular movement of the abutment 38 being much greater than that of the shoe support 24. 56 As shown in the drawing, the axis of the pivot pin 36 is spaced a considerable distance above the last-engageable surface of the abutment to enable the abutment to swing forwardly for a purpose which will later be explained. 55

In mesh with the rack teeth 34 is a geared sector 39 formed upon the end of an arm which is securely fixed upon a rockshaft 40. The shaft 40 is disposed horizontally and longitudinally with respect to the shoe and is journaled in bearings 42 formed in the upper portion of the frame In. Secured upon an end portion of the shaft 4|! is a rocker arm 44 to which is pivotally connected the upper end of an operating rod 46. The lower end of the rod 46 is pivotally connected to a treadle 48 which is fulcrumed upon a support 50 adapted to be secured to the floor. A tension spring 52 interposed between a collar on the rod 48 and the work bench I2 normally maintains the treadle 48 in raised position. Mounted upon the upper portion of the frame I0 is a pulley 54 about which is looped a cord 55. One end of the cord 55 is secured to a block 58 which is slidably mounted for heightwise adjustment upon the rod 45 and which may be secured in any desired position of adjustment by a set screw 60. From the opposite end of the cord 56 depends a shoe horn 82.

In operating the machine, the shoe S having a collapsible or breakable last L partially inserted therein is supported upon the member 24 with the padded surface of the member 24 engaging a considerable area of the heel portion of the bottom of the shoe. The operator now depresses the treadle 48 to bring the abutment 35 into engagement with the top surface of the rear section of the last, inserting the horn 62 between the heel end of. the shoe upper and the last. The left hand end of the abutment 38 will engage the forward section of the last L. The operator then applies sufiicient pressure to the treadle 48 to Seat the last L in the shoe S. It will be noted that the working surfaces of the abutment I4 and of the shoe support 24 engage the last and the shoe respectively over areas suflicient to distribute properly the applied forces and to insure against rolling contact against the last or the shoe. As the abutment 38 is forced downwardly it will tilt freely about its pivot 35 to accommodate the change of angular position of the upper surface of the rear section of the last and such tilting will cause the abutment 38 to swing about the pin 36 in a direction to urge the last by friction forwardly in the shoe. The swinging movement of the abutment 38 will also cause its left hand end to push forwardly against the forward section of the last, tending to straighten the last at the very beginning of the operation when the resistance of the last to straightening is greatest. The support 24 will also tilt but its movement will be resisted by the spring 29 and, as has already been pointed out, will be limited in extent. Such tilting of the support 24, which occurs in the later stages of the operation. insures that the frictional component of the support 24 against the shoe will be directed rearwardly and in opposition to the forward and downward thrust of the abutment 38 against the last. The tilting of the support 24 appears also to relieve the strain upon the shoe as the last is seated. As the treadle rod descends the cord 56 will tighten, causing the horn by reason of. its leverage against the last to pull the upper of the shoe rearwardly while the horn is being drawn upwardly. The horn thus not only insures against crumpling of the upper as the last is being seated, but tends also to draw the rear portion of the shoe upper rearwardly up over the last;

Having thus described my invention, what I mitting a thrust to said heightwise-movable '4 member to urge the last into the shoe, a pivotal connection between one of said members and said support, and a pivotal connection between the other member and said thrust-transmitting means, said pivotal connections having axes which extend transversely of the shoe and which intersect said line of thrust.

2. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment having a surface engageable with a considerable area of the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a pivotal support for said abutment having an axis disposed transversely of the shoe, said axis being spaced a considerable distance above the last-engageable surface of the abutment to provide for bodily swinging movement of the abutment forwardly and rearwardly of the shoe as said last-engaging surface tilts, and means for exerting a relative compression between the pivotal support of said abutment and the shoe support to cause the last to be seated in the shoe, the last-engaging surface of said abutment being enabled by said pivotal support to tilt and the abutment as a whole being therefore caused to swing forwardly to exert a forward thrust upon the last as the last is being seated in the shoe.

3. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a collapsible last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable simultaneously with the top of the rear section of the last and with the forward section of the last, means for exerting a downward thrust against said abutment to urge the rear section of the last into the shoe, and a pivotal connection between said abutment and said thrust-exerting means having an axis transverse with respect to the shoe to enable the abutment to tilt as the angular position of the rear section of the last changes, which tilting will cause the abutment to exert a forward thrust against the forward section of the last tending to straighten the last.

4. A relasting machine comprising a pad for supporting the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a rack to which said abutment is pivotally connected for tilting movement about an axis extending transversely of the last, a guideway in which said rack is slidably mounted for movement toward said pad, a geared segment in mesh with said rack, and treadleoperated means for rocking said geared segment to urge the rack toward the pad, thereby causing the abutment to seat the shoe in the last.

5. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, a member engageable with the rear portion of the last, a treadle, a connection between said treadle and said last-engageable member constructed and arranged to cause the last-engageable member to urge the heel portion of the last into the shoe upon movement of said treadle, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of. the shoe upper and the last, and means operated by said treadle for withdrawing said horn from between the shoe and the last.

6. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, treadleoperated means for exerting a downward thrust against the heel end of the last to seat the last in the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of. the shoe upper and the last, and a flexible member connected to said horn and to said treadle-operated means for withdrawing said horn from between the shoe upper and the last during the seating of the last in the shoe.

7. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, a member constructed and arranged to exert downward pressure against the heel portion of the last, a rack to which said pressure-exerting member is attached, a vertical guideway in which said rack is slidably mounted, a substantially horizontal rockshaft, bearings for said shaft, an arm secured to said shaft and having gear teeth in mesh with said rack, a rocker arm secured to said shaft, an operating rod depending from said rocker arm, a treadle connected to the lower end of said rocker arm for operating said rack to cause the pressure-exerting member upon depression of the treadle to seat the last in the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last, an idler pulley positioned above the level of. said horn, and a flexible connection looped around said pulley between said horn and said operating rod for raising said horn upon depression of the treadle.

8. A method of seating lasts in shoes which consists in partially inserting a last into a shoe, engaging the partially lasted assembly between a pair of pivotally mounted abutments with one abutment engaging the bottom of the heel portion of the shoe and the other abutment engaging the top surface of. the rear portion of the last, and urging one of said abutments toward the other to seat the rear portion of the last in the shoe while enabling the shoe, by reason of the pivoted mounting of the abutments, to tilt freely, thereby relieving the shoe of undue strain.

9. A method of. seating sectional lasts in shoes which consists in partially inserting a sectional last into a shoe, engaging the bottom of the heel portion of the shoe with a pivotally mounted abutment, engaging the top surface of the rear section of the last with a pivotally mounted abutment, urging the second-mentioned abutment toward the first-mentioned abutment to seat the rear section of the last in the shoe while enabling the shoe, by reason of the pivotal mounting of. the abutments, to tilt freely, thereby relieving the shoe of undue strain, and assisting the seating of the last by drawing the heel portion of the Shoe upon the last with a shoe horn as the shoe together with the first-mentioned abutment tilts about the pivotal mounting of that abutment.

JACOB S. KAMBORIAN. 

